The Collateral
by clairvoyantPlume
Summary: The Cullens run a special kind of business, one of money, deceit, and kidnapping. Bella helps her father run a rundown casino. Can they both survive when business causes their worlds to collide?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I originally had this as a play, so there might be some missing backstories. I'll try to get as many in as possible. **

**Thanks to my Beta obsessionist97.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.**

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**EPOV**

"Alice, bring me the Swan file." I heard Emmett command from near the fireplace, throwing the contents of a filing cabinet on the thick Persian rug.

"What am I, your secretary?"Alice called back, throwing a pillow at him from across the room. I shook my head, laughing, as I looked down at the Swan file. Charlie Swan ran a small casino downtown, but recently "business" wasn't great for him, so he came to me. My family loans money to small businesses, at a very high interest. Most of the people can't or don't pay back within the six months we give them, so we take a 'collateral', namely, a person. We figure the easiest way to make sure someone pays back is to take their most valuable family member, such as a wife, child, or parent. We don't hurt them, of course. They live quite nicely in the mansion. The Cullens have just found it to be the most effective incentive.

"I have the Swan file right here, Em. It seems that Swan's divorced, a messy affair, really. He threatened to kill her. Even had court-mandated therapy. Seems like his only family is his daughter, Isabella. From the looks of things, loves her to death. Wouldn't let a thing happen to her." The files aren't exactly kosher. A lot of the facts come from hacked laptops and bugged rooms. But in our kind of business, anything goes.

"What does it say about his finances. Will he be able to pay back?" Jasper, Alice's fiancé, called from the adjoining kitchen. He was always worried about the financial part of our business, which is surprising for someone of his background. He fell in love with her when he was one of the hostages here. When he left, they kept e-mailing each other until one day she kidnapped him again for an entirely different reason.

"I don't know, Jazz. Cash looks a bit tight for him these past few months. He's gotten caught in a few raids, and bail's put him a bit low on cash. Why don't you check out the figures?" He put the apple he'd just taken out of the fridge on the table and walked over to the desk, taking the file from me. He didn't have much time to look through it, though. Just after he sat down, Rosalie, Emmett's wife, stormed into the office.

"Swan called. He wants an extension on the loan."

"That's impossible. He still owes us three month's payment. Jazz, how do the figures look?" Sometimes I hated being the oldest, the one to lead the family business. I mean, Alice and Emmett help a little, but they're not the ones who get blamed if the business fails.

"According to his accounts, we're not the only ones he owes money to. And they'll actually do things to him if he doesn't pay back. He has a couple bank loans. If he doesn't get those, his house and his business get taken away."

"That bad, huh? Maybe we should give the guy a break. He seems pretty hard up." Alice was always the humanitarian of the family. She felt sorry for the people who came here and always tried to befriend them. Of course, when they found out she was a Cullen, they wouldn't speak to her. We're not exactly the most liked.

"Alice, we can't go soft on him. He signed a contract, and, like the banks, if he doesn't pay, we take something. Emmett, take Isabella Swan."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry if this is a bit rough. I didn't run it by my beta (whoops). Anyways, this is a bit short. Sorry about that. I'll update soon, I promise.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters.**

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**BPOV**

I sat down at the old wooden desk in the back room of the casino and started going over the books. Charlie-I mean Dad-is bad with money, so I usually take care of that part for him. I reached into a big leather bag and pulled out the money in it. There wasn't more than forty dollars altogether. I grabbed a pen and wrote it down, sighing. Business had been bad lately. This month, we hadn't made more than two hundred dollars. Today was one of the better ones. I reached for the other pile of papers on the table. They were mostly angry letters about the loans we couldn't pay back. I tried to see how many people we could pay back this month. It didn't look too good. Maybe the heating and the rent for the building, but that's it.

A huge gust of wind suddenly blew through the open window of the cramped office, making the stack of papers fly all over the room. I swore, leaning my head back in frustration. I'd have to pick those up if I wanted anything paid off. A few fell on the desk, so I decided to start there. It was mostly a few electricity bills and receipts, but one stood out amongst the mess. I usually handled loans and bills, and I'd never seen this before. It was on green paper and handwritten. I picked it up, wanting to know more about the mysterious note.

**Mr. Swan-**

**When we loaned you the money, we gave you a certain amount of time to pay back. We understand that times are tough, but a deal's a deal. If you don't pay back in 3 months, we will be forced to take drastic measures.**

**- Cullen.**

Cullen? I hadn't heard of him-her-them- before. And he said "three months" to pay back. I looked for the envelope, wanting to know when it was sent. I scrambled around, looking for the envelope. After slipping twice on the papers, I finally found it resting on the air conditioner. I picked it up and walked towards the light so I could see it. It was dated May 20th, exactly three months ago. The Cullen's didn't sound like the type to take their ultimatums lightly. I wondered what the drastic measures would be. Suddenly, I thought I saw a dark figure in the corner of my eye. The paper crinkled as it moved closer to me. My body stiffened with fear as I waited for the figure to approach. I thought about running, but I'd probably just fall again. A few seconds later, I heard the figure speak.

"Does this smell like chloroform to you?" he said, putting a handkerchief in front of my face. I tried to scream, but his hand was preventing me. I gave in eventually, breathing in through my nose, and felt my eyes closing as I slowly slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm so sorry I didn't update earlier. I had a bunch of essays and projects. But this is a long chapter, so I hope that makes up for it. I'll try to update next week, but I can't promise much. It's the last week before my play, so I have an intense tech schedule. But before the 16th, there will be an update. I promise~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters.**

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**Chapter 3**

**BPOV**

I blinked twice before fully opening my eyes. How long had I been out? And where was I? I looked around, but I couldn't see much. It was a very dark room with a soft leather couch. I sat up and almost hit my head on the roof. I wasn't in a room. I was in a car. I shook my head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. One of the streetlights lit up the car, and, for a second, I could make out the basic shape of my kidnapper. He looked quite tall, his head almost touching the top of the low car. He had broad shoulders, and looked pretty muscular. I caught a glimpse of his eyes in the rearview mirror. They were a light blue and, even though he did just kidnap me, they looked friendly.

"Oh hey, you're awake. Sorry about the chloroform, I've just always wanted to say that." He sounded pretty friendly, too. Too bad he was my kidnapper. I groaned mentally, leaning my head against the window. It already looked like Stockholm Syndrome. I didn't respond. It was easier for me to stay mad when I didn't talk.

I turned my head to look out the window, sighing. I'd fallen asleep again when a sharp turn threw me against the door. My eyes blinked open slowly. The car turned sharply again, and I fell against the seat. _Where are we going_? I looked out the window, trying to figure out where I was. I couldn't see any road signs, just trees. Where _was_ this place. I tried to look between the front seats. There wasn't anything at first, but then a house, no, a mansion, popped up from between the trees. We seemed to be approaching the clearing pretty fast. My eyes casually searched for the speed, wondering just how afraid I should be. Before I found it, though, we'd already reached the house. He slammed on the brakes so hard that I was thrown against the seats. Before I could recover, he slung me over his shoulder and carried me into mansion.

A few moments later, I was thrown onto a bed, and I heard the door lock behind me. I turned around, making sure I was alone in the room, but I couldn't see anything. I stood up and stumbled around the room until I found a light switch. The lights slowly turned on and I could see that I was alone. The room was simple, yet extravagant. There was a large bed with a metal frame in the middle of the room and a large wardrobe against the wall. _If only I had stuff to put in there_. _Oh well_. I walked across the room to the chair by the window and sat in it, staring out the window. It was raining now, and the sound of falling droplets filled the room. But there was another sound I couldn't recognize. I rested my hand on the window and noticed that it was shaking. _Oh! The sound is me?_ I turned around to look at the small mirror on the wall. I was... crying? My hand started to shake violently now, so I walked towards the bed and sat down. The sheets were so soft that I wanted to do nothing but lie down on them and break down.

**~n~**

I woke up to a knock on the door. I turned my head to look at the clock. It was 10 PM. I heard the door open, but I didn't turn around to look. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

"Hi. I'm Alice. You must be Bella. Are you okay?" I was done with these friendly kidnappers. They just put you in a false sense of security before acting like normal people.

"Go away. You're just like the rest of them. You think you can trust them and then they lock you in a room in a strange mansion." I really didn't want to meet any more of them. I just wanted to lie down here, maybe starve to death. It would be better than living a hostage.

"Oh, I'm not a Cullen. I'm another hostage, just like you." Wait, what? Maybe I could actually trust people. I sat up and turned around to face her. She seemed nice enough. She was short, maybe five feet tall, with extremely short jet black hair. She walked towards me and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan." Why was I being so trusting? Hadn't today's experience taught me anything about trust?

"Are you okay, Bella?" She was just so kind. I couldn't _not_ answer her.

"I'm just so... confused. I mean, this afternoon I was just sitting at home and now I'm here, being held hostage by... who, exactly?"

"The Cullens." Cullen, Cullen, where had I seen that name before? I gasped internally as I remembered. Cullen was the name I'd seen on the bill in Charlie's office. The handwritten bill which he hadn't shown me.

"Oh. My father borrowed money from them. I just found the bill today, before... well, you know." Why was I telling her all this?

"Oh, you poor thing. You really don't know anything, do you?" I shook my head. She gave me a pitying look before continuing. "The Cullens loan money to people with failing businesses. If they aren't paid back in the given time, they take a... collateral. One of the important family members, a mother, wife, child... anyone, really. Oh, don't worry. They treat us really nice. We can go anywhere we like inside the house. Well, almost anywhere. Just not the office and Mr. Cullen's bedroom. He doesn't want us to see what sort of business he does." At that she winked, causing me to blush.

"How do you know all this?"

"Mr. Cullen drops by on the first night to lay out the basic rules. There's really not more than that, other than a huge warning about what happens to people who try to escape. I hope he doesn't tell you that part. It's really quite gruesome." I shuddered, then turned back to Alice.

"And so what? Do we just stay in this house until we die?"

"No. Once the Cullens are paid back, they give you back to your family. But, in the meanwhile, I'm sure you'll love it here. You look like the type to read. They have one of the best libraries here." I interest was immediately piqued. "There's also a nice garden outside with some great spots for reading and painting and, well, anything, really." At that, she turned her head to look at the clock. "Wow, it's pretty late. You hungry?" I nodded my head. "I'll go downstairs and get us some food. You like Italian?" With that, she walked out the door.

**~n~**

Alice came back in ten minutes with a huge tray full of pastas, salads, and a bottle of wine. She opened it and poured some into two glasses.

"I figured you needed something strong after today. Most of us do for the first few nights." She seemed so at home here. I wondered for a moment if I'd ever be like that.

"It all smells so good. Wow, this place is extravagant." I took my wine glass and sipped it. It was one of the richest wines I'd ever had. Well, the only wine I'd had after my cousin's wedding two years ago. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash. Alice and I both jumped.

"I'll be right back. One of the kids probably broke a vase and Alistair will probably need help cleaning it up." With that, Alice ran out of the room. I sighed, turning back to the wine, drinking more and more until my nerves had calmed.

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**If I forget to update for a while, please remind me with a review or a PM or something. I will update soon after that.**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I finally got around to updating. Life has just been so busy lately. But I'll try to keep up with weekly updates as much as I can. Enjoy~**

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**Chapter 4**

**EPOV**

Emmett burst through the office door and walked to the couch where Rosalie was sitting.

"So, Emmett, did you get Isabella Swan? Emmett? Emmett!" He turned away from Rosalie for a second, grunted, and turned back to his fiancée. I shook my head, laughing. Those two were physically inseparable since they were engaged. It could be considered sweet and romantic, but it really just delayed business. I walked across the room to the old record player that my grandfather bought when he bought this place and put on my favorite record. I sat on the leather armchair as the quiet sounds of Clair de Lune filled the room.

"Where's Alice?" I leaned back and massaged my temples. I was probably going to turn prematurely gray. "She hasn't gone to see Swan, has she?" Alice had an annoying habit of trying to befriend the hostages. It usually ended in her being miserable and the hostage being uncooperative. Jasper spun around in the chair by the desk, lighting a Cuban cigar.

"No, she went upstairs to change before dinner." Well, at least my life wasn't going to fall apart today. That was a slight reassurance. I closed my eyes and let the music take over me.

**~n~**

I woke up with a start when I heard a crash from the hall.

"What was that?" I was always nervous when I heard loud, unexpected noises. It could be a vase that was accidentally broken, or a hostage revolt. During my grandfather's time, there was even an murder attempt. Jasper rushed to the door, swinging it open. A couple of kids ran away from the kitchen door. _Why do we hold kids hostage? They do nothing but make our lives difficult_. At least it wasn't too violent. I sat up and went to find Alistair, the butler and housekeeper, to clean it up. By the time I reached the mess, Alice was coming with him.

"Where have you been, Alice?" I know Jasper said she wasn't with the Swan girl, but I just wanted to be sure.

"I went to change, I heard the crash, and I found Alistair. Really, Edward, you should learn to trust more." She was right. I barely trusted my own siblings in these matters. I found that the only person you could trust to do something right is yourself. And I was rarely proven wrong.

"Has anyone seen the Swan girl besides Emmett?" Maybe she was sending a messenger. When I was asleep, maybe Jasper went and... no, he wouldn't. Jasper was like me, in many ways. We both felt that in most situations, we should stay away from the hostages so neither gets hurt. Alistair looked up and answered.

"I went to give her some food. Mister Emmett told me to." _Emmett_ told him to? Then it probably wasn't one of Alice's schemes.

"I'm going to go talk to her. Introduce her to the place and tell her the basic rules." I turned around and ran up the stairs. I tried to remember which room she was in. _We should get room numbers._ At least then we wouldn't be so confused. One of the girls on the same floor was about to leave her room, but ran back inside, staring at me from the crack in the door. There's nothing like the terrified glare of a young girl to make you feel soulless and inhuman. Sometimes, I thought about just ending the business or handing it over to one of my brothers. Maybe I'd move to the country and just live isolated from the rest of humanity. Maybe I'd be lucky and a tornado would come around and get rid of me for good. But one can only dream.

I kept walking, staring at doors and being stared at by the walls and the people it contained, until I reached the room at the end of the hall, where I told Emmett to put her. I knocked twice on the door, but no one answered. Cautiously, I opened the door, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

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**Oh my god! What did Edward see? Did Bella try to kill him? Was there no one there? Did he walk into the wrong room? I guess we'll never know... Just kidding. You'll just have to wait until the update. Which probably won't be written until two weeks from now. I'm sorry, but I have so much stuff. But, if you want to know, you should go on my blogspot or tumblr (links in description). I'll post some teasers for this later.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey look, an update~ There was just so much stuff going on the past couple of weeks, but I finally got around to writing another chapter. Hope this is worth the wait.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own characters.**

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**Chapter 5**

**EPOV**

I looked around the room, making sure I wasn't hallucinating. There was a chair pulled up to a side table on which was some food and a glass of wine, but no bottle. _Was someone else here?_

"Miss Swan? Hello?" I entered the room carefully, not sure what I would encounter. I felt a slight breeze coming from the left wall. The window was open. Had she escaped already? _Why do we have windows again? _I went towards the window to try to find her. But before I leaned out, I heard some giggling behind me. I turned around to see Isabella Swan sitting on the edge of the bed, empty glass in hand. The bottle, also empty, was beside her. This was not good.

"Hello, Miss Swan. I'm Edward Cullen. I'm sure you have some questions for me." Maybe she was only slightly drunk. I took a deliberate step towards her, making sure she was comfortable with my proximity. I was proven wrong soon. She giggled and said something about being funny in an unintelligible slurred speech. I took another step towards her, hoping that she could be reasoned with.

"Your hair looks funny. Come here." She called, reaching out to touch my hair.

"Miss Swan!" I backed away. Maybe staying was a bad choice. I'd come back in the morning to explain her situation. She tried to run after me, tripping on her own feet. I reached out to catch her before she fell, and was pulled to the floor with her. I tried to untangle myself without hurting her, but I ended up against the wall, Isabella blocking my only exit. _Why are you running away? Isn't this what you've always wanted? Companionship in this messy world. _But my better judgment was there, stopping me, as usual. There was a way to make it shut up, though. I turned to my side, reaching for the remaining wine glass on the table. I picked it up and emptied the contents in one gulp. I leaned into Isabella, our lips meeting in a fit of intoxicated passion, and fell onto the bed with her.

**BPOV**

I opened my eyes slowly and looked around. _Where am I? _Suddenly, memories of yesterday flooded my brain, one more than the others. I turned around to find a man in my bed with his arm thrown carelessly around my waist. I blushed as I peeked under the covers, realizing I didn't have a stitch on. I tried to get out of bed to put on a bathrobe, but it woke him up. He yawned and stretched.

"Good Morning." His voice sounded like melting honey. I remembered hearing it whispered in my ear the night before. _Now's not the time to get lost in thought, Bella. _

"Hi." My voice squeaked a little, making him smile. He put his hand under my chin, pulling me into a kiss. I giggled, kissing him, when the door opened roughly. A blond man poked his head into the room.

"Miss Swan, have you seen Mr. Cullen? Oh, there he is. Never mind." Mr. Cullen... where had I heard that name before? The name clicked in my head almost instantaneously. Mr. Cullen, the loan shark, the reason that I was here. Before I could think, I jumped out of bed, pulling the quilt with me until I could find a bathrobe.

"How _dare _you?" I hissed at him, grabbing for the robe on the edge of the chair. He jumped up almost instantaneously, holding up his hands defensively.

"Isabella, it's not what you think." He ducked down to pick up his shirt and slowly backed away towards the door.

"Do you just go around sleeping with all the hostages here? What is this, some sort of whorehouse?" I was infuriated by now. He didn't seem sorry at all. I threw the quilt at him and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm down.

"Miss Swan, I'm so sorry. If I'd had any idea how you would react to this-" This was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and lunged at him, but he was faster. Before I knew what was happening, he grabbed my wrists and pushed me away from him. By now, I had tears flowing freely down my cheeks. I started to shake uncontrollably, sobs escaping from my mouth.

"If you had any idea how I would react... How did you _think _ I would react?" I lunged again, but he was stronger than I was, and was able to keep me at a safe distance. I could see guilt and regret in his expression, but that wasn't enough for me now. His presence made me sick. "Get out. _Now_." I should've stopped at this. He was going towards the door. But it wasn't enough. "You're all the same. I think I can trust a single one of you, and I get into this mess. Your family is the worst thing that ever happened to me. I wish they'd all die!" I didn't really wish that, but I needed to hurt him the same way he hurt me. But it didn't have the same effect as I'd hoped. Instead of seeing crippling sadness, I saw shock, and then a flash of anger. The next thing I knew, his hands had let go of my wrists and had a good grip on my neck. My breathing came faster. He brought his face closer to mine and tightened his grip around my neck.

"Now, listen. I don't care if you're mad at me or if you hate me. You have a very good reason to. But don't insult my family _ever _again if you know what's good for you." He growled at me, throwing me onto the bed by the neck. My face hit the pillow with a quiet thud. I wanted to turn around, but I was paralyzed with fear. There was a loud slam from the door, telling me that he had left. I twisted my neck to get a glimpse of the room, making sure he was really gone. I began shaking again. I turned my face into the pillow, sobbing, until I blacked out.

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**So, what do you think? I'll try to be a bit more regular on updating, but there's just so much stuff to do. I'll try to update ASAP.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again~ **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own characters.**

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**Chapter 6**

**BPOV**

One day, twenty-four hours, that's all it takes for someone's world to be turned upside down. Yesterday, I was at my own house, just waking up and getting ready for a day's work. I expected all my days to go by like that, even when I stopped working at Charlie's casino. But in one day, I was in a strange house-no, a mansion-in the middle of the woods, held against my own will. After regaining consciousness, I called Alice through the phones in all the rooms; they allowed us to contact each other, but we couldn't call anyone else. Five minutes later, she was at my door.

"Good morning Bell-wow, you don't look so good. Are you okay?" I shook my head, tears forming in my eyes again. "Do you want to talk about it?" I nodded slowly, walking towards the chair by the window. "Sit down, Bella. What happened?" She went to the dresser and handed me a box of tissues. I leaned my head against the window, sighing.

"Well, last night, after you left, I had a little too much wine. And someone came into the room..."

**~n~**

"Oh. My. God. Edward Cullen?" Alice looked shocked. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with interest. Her mouth was gaping and her eyes bugged out.

"Yup," I said, popping the P. "First day here and I'm already the town slut."

"Don't worry. Some people have slept around a lot more. You're just the only one who did it with a Cullen," she whispered, giggling. I groaned and hit my head against the back of the chair.

"Alice, you're not helping." I rested my forehead on my fist.

"I'm sorry, Bella. It's just so... shocking. No-one even _talks_ to the Cullens. And you-well, you know." She got up and walked towards me. "Hey, how about we go downstairs and get some ice cream. You know, something to drown the tears." I nodded, standing up slowly and walking to the mirror in the other corner of the room. My face was puffy and there were tear stains on my cheeks. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to smooth it, but eventually gave up. I grabbed another tissue and dried my eyes.

"Okay, let's go." Alice clapped her hands happily, skipping into the hall. I walked deliberately behind her, trying to focus on the floor. It didn't work. I saw heads poking out of the doors, checking to see if anyone was there, and then running quietly across the halls into other rooms. I looked around, attempting to not make eye contact with anyone, and failing. About three doors down from me, a boy, about ten, peeped out of the door, taking me by surprise. I jumped, startling him, his blond hair falling on his eyes. He looked terrified, and I immediately wondered what I'd done in my short time here. Did I look scary to him? Maybe I reminded him of someone he didn't like. As soon as Alice and I passed his door, he ran out into the room across the hall, where two other kids, a boy and girl, both about eight, hurried him in. I shivered, hunching my shoulders. There was something about this place. Everybody seemed so... terrified, even of each other. I looked over my shoulders. Edward wasn't in sight. What, or who, were they so afraid of?

Alice, who was a couple feet ahead of me by now, turned left just before the stairs. I followed her, not wanting to be lost here, in case I ran into one of the Cullens. I didn't know how many there were. I assumed there were only the two I met, Edward and the big one who kidnapped me the other-was it only yesterday? It seemed so long ago. So much had happened since then. I felt my throat choking up, and a little sob escaped me. Alice turned to look at me suspiciously.

"Come on, Bella. Don't cry here. Not now. We're almost a the kitchen." She flew down a grand spiraling staircase, leaving me to clumsily follow behind. I heard a crash, like the one yesterday night-I still can't believe I'd only been here a day-but louder. Alice rushed to the hallway at the base of the stairs. I rushed down the last few steps and towards the noise, but I heard a crunching sound beneath my feet. I looked down to find glass shards scattered on the floor. A man in a black suit ran towards us from the other side of the mess, shooing away the kids, who were by now halfway up the stairs. He walked towards a small closet on the side of the stairs. Alice turned to me, disappointed.

"Shoot, the kitchen's on the other side. I'm sorry about the mess, Alistair." She turned to the man to apologize.

"It's alright, Miss Alice," he politely responded, coming back with a broom. I wondered why he called her 'Miss Alice'. It was an oddly formal title. I sighed and walked back to the staircase when Alice grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" She looked shocked and slightly hurt. I wasn't sure where her emotions came from.

"Back to the stairs so we can go around the glass." Now she just shook her head.

"No, that's too far. I know, we'll just go through Cullen's office." Normally I didn't remember much from tragic experiences-I had a talent for blocking out unpleasant memories-but almost every word from yesterday stood out in my mind. Alice had said that there were only two rules, to never enter Cullen's bedroom or office. _He doesn't want us to see what sort of business he does_. It seemed that everyone here was terrified of the Cullens. I wondered why Alice wasn't the same way. By now she had opened the office door, gesturing for me to come in. I hesitated for a moment, but eventually, against my better judgment, followed her inside.

The office was amazingly huge, completely different from the dingy old closet back home. The walls were paneled with mahogany, and there was a stone fireplace by one of the windows. On the right wall was an oak desk covered with paperwork. Behind the desk were bookshelves, filled with old, dusty, leather-bound books. I wanted to spend days and days just looking through every one of the books, but then I realized that I wasn't supposed to be there. I looked around the room for Alice, who seemed to be missing. She must've already made it to the kitchen. I frantically looked for the door, sighing when I finally found it. It was just about twenty feet from me. I rushed towards it when I heard a familiar voice coming from the far end of the room. I immediately turned back to the other door, almost running now, but he was too fast. He grabbed me roughly by the arm and pulled me around to face him.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was low, but seething with unexplainable anger.

"I was just trying to get to, well Alice said that we could, and I was just passing through, and I didn't see anything, I promise." I stammered incoherently. I didn't know if it was because I had just been caught 'trespassing' or because his face was a mere six inches from mine.

"First you insult my family, now you undermine my authority. There aren't that many rules here. Only one that I can recall. Can you tell me what it is?" I couldn't tell if he was being intentionally sarcastic. I thought it best to answer him in a mood like this.

"That we should never enter your bedroom or office." My voice sounded pathetic, barely over a whisper and weak. He didn't seem to notice, though, continuing with his rough interrogation.

"And what room is this? The room we both seem to be in."

"Your office." I practically whimpered the words. His hands formed a familiar grip on my neck, forcing me against the wall.

"Right once more. Now listen, this time I'm going to let you off. You seem scared to death anyways and I don't think you'll be able to handle much more. But just remember, if you _ever_ try anything like this again, I won't be this understanding." His face was a couple inches from mine now, and I wasn't sure why I was shivering. I assumed it was complete and utter fear. I wasn't sure what happened after that. It seemed as though someone else, a completely different force, pushed Edward forward just enough so that he fell into me, pressing his lips unintentionally against mine. I regained his balance almost instantaneously, and moved about two feet away from me. I looked at the ground, unable to make eye contact.

"I should probably go," I said, pointing towards the door leading to the hallway, turning towards it as I spoke.

"Yes, you probably should." His voice sounded muffled, like he was facing the other way. I walked to the door quietly, making my escape from my second awkward encounter with Edward Cullen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, two updates in one day. This never happens.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters.**

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**Chapter 7**

**EPOV**

"Now, listen. I don't care if you're mad at me or if you hate me. You have a very good reason to. But don't insult my family _ever _again if you know what's good for you." I tossed her backwards and stormed out the door. I didn't recognize myself through my own anger. Who did she think she was, deciding who was going to live and die. _Yes, because that's clearly more your specialty_. The little voice in my brain, the sad, pitying voice, decided to speak up. I didn't need to pity anyone right now. I knew this was a bad idea. What was I thinking? Becoming close to someone, hah! Closeness is for people, not monsters. Not people who are feared. I rushed down the stairs and into the office, where everyone, except Alice, was assembled in their usual places. Emmett and Rose were by the fire and Jasper was looking through the books. How could he seem so calm, after he knew what he caused. The one night of happiness, where I wasn't "on the job", where I was relaxed, detached...

"Edward, I'm sorry, but we needed to start early today." Jasper slowly approached me, testing to see just how angry I was. I walked straight to the desk, but just as I sat down, Emmett said the one thing I didn't want to hear.

"Swan sent a letter, wants to know where his daughter is." I shot up, infuriated.

"Don't _ever _mention that name again," I practically hissed at him.

"Jeez, calm down, man. You're too jumpy to deal with this now." Emmett looked concerned and a bit scared. It's not often a man who's six-four is scared of you. Rosalie could tell that I was about ready to jump down Emmett's throat, so she suggested that I go for a walk to relax. No, I was stronger than that. My anger wasn't going to get the best of me. I sat down and buried my face in one of the record books.

"Edward, that book's from two thousand and one," Jasper reminded me. But I wasn't looking for the new records. I wanted to see the old ones. I searched for the name 'Rosalie Hale'. She was one of the hostages here that year, and she probably hated us just as much as Bella-I winced when I remembered that name, that face, that voice-hates me now. But here she was, twelve years later, one of us. Emmett had found companionship in this hellmouth. Alice did. Everyone else seemed to. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of thoughts of the Swan girl. I tossed the book aside and went to find the more recent records.

"Edward, are you sure you're okay?" This time it was Rosalie who asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where are the records?" Emmett held them up.

"The Swan letter is in there, too." I tried to smile, but it turned out more like a grimace. I wasn't capable of smiling anymore. What was there to smile about? _Isabella Swan, and the night you just spent, and the hope of new romance_. I really hated that little voice. I needed some way to silence it. My first thought was to silence all the voices, take a little walk to the lake, but that wouldn't work. Why should I silence all of me, when there was an easier way out? I dropped the book on the sofa and went into the kitchen, searching for a bottle of wine. There wasn't much, only half a bottle of Pinot Noir. I didn't bother with a glass. I grabbed it and went out to the hallway, pacing back and forth and taking swigs from the wine.

I looked around, making sure there was no-one there to see my insanity. Away from the influence of my family, I let my mind go to pieces. The memories from last night came flooding into my brain. The sound of her voice, how she seemed to be aware of everything around her even though she was intoxicated, the way she felt against me, her fingers running through my hair... But instead of invoking tears, the thoughts just made me more angry. I had everything last night, everything I've ever wanted, and, because of my lifestyle, my family name, I was in the black books. What was that line from Romeo and Juliet? "My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee". That quote brought another blissful moment lost in thought. I remembered the way my name sounded as a mere whisper on her lips. But happy memories die of loneliness. Following that image was another one, the way she spat "Cullen" at me this morning. One word, six letters, but what a difference they make. This crushing memory brought with it seething anger, and I felt my pacing increase in speed. Who was she to make me feel this way? One day I've known her and she's already destroyed my world. I began to hate the Swan girl-I was still unable to think her name with anger-for everything she'd done to me. For making me weak in the first place, then for making me lose my temper, and now, for making me lose control of my thoughts.

After about fifteen minutes, I realized the bottle was empty. I marched to the door to my office, throwing the bottle on the ground on my way. There were two children running down the stairs who, after witnessing my anger, hurried back up and leaned over the banister, wondering what I would do next. The voice wasn't completely drowned yet, so I still felt sorry for those poor kids. I opened the door to the office and walked in, expecting to meet four pairs of confused eyes, but there was no one in sight. It was better this way. I didn't have to explain myself to anyone, and they didn't have to put up with me. I went to the window at the other end of the room and stared out of it for a while. I contemplated taking a walk to the river yet again, but my thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the door. I assumed it was Alice, sent by the others to deal with me, but I felt another familiar presence in the room. I turned around to find a woman standing in the room, focused on the door to the kitchen, a woman with long brown hair. Before I had control of my emotions or movements, I ran to the door, seething with unexplainable fury. What had she done now? As she saw me moving towards her, she turned around towards the door. The little voice told me to let her go, that I'd already scared her enough for a lifetime, but it was ignored. I easily reached her with five long strides, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to me.

"What are you doing here?" My voice sounded harsher than normal, but it was still low, whether under the influence of alcohol or just seeing her again I couldn't tell. This would've been a good time to listen to the voice. She blanched and tried to run away, but I had a firm grip on her. She tried to avoid my eye, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I moved my face closer to hers in a way that she could not escape.

"I was just trying to get to, well Alice said that we could, and I was just passing through, and I didn't see anything, I promise." She seemed too terrified for words. Her dark hair fell forward, covering half her face in an attractive way. But this didn't trigger the happiness, but rather, the anger: anger at her, anger at my family, anger at myself.

"First you insult my family, now you undermine my authority. There aren't that many rules here. Only one that I can recall. Can you tell me what it is?" I thought I had told her the rules. If not, Emmett must've explained some of the basics to her. I waited for her response. If she looked confused, I'd let her go. I must've failed to inform her yesterday. I felt a sudden surge of pity for this poor girl who I'd probably scared out of her mind.

"That we should never enter your bedroom or office." Oh, so she knew? This brought back the anger. She knew the rules-how I wasn't sure-and yet she still decided she could enter. Did she think that last night affected the rules in the least, that it mattered? It didn't seem to matter to her.

"And what room is this? The room we both seem to be in." The room we're both in, alone, together, for the second time today. Only this time, it was she who was trespassing.

"Your office." I could barely hear her now, but I could tell she knew. She knew what was going on. _She was always aware, even when she wasn't_. My thoughts were becoming incoherent and insane. I needed something to distract me. I wrapped one hand around the back of her neck, pressing my elbow against her collarbone and pushing her against the wall by the door. She looked like she would faint.

"Right once more." The little voice finally came out of hiding. _You're going to give the poor girl a heart attack_. It seemed to be right. She was cowering against the wall, her eyes bugging out, afraid to look away yet wanting nothing more than to run away. She was breathing heavily, and her hands were quivering with fear. It touched me in a way nothing else today had. She just looked so shocked, so fragile, that, no matter what she had done to me, it would be cruel to keep her here any longer. "Now listen, this time I'm going to let you off. You seem scared to death anyways and I don't think you'll be able to handle much more. But just remember, if you _ever_ try anything like this again, I won't be this understanding." I moved closer to her to make my final point. A good dose of fear is good every now and then, even for her. I was bent forwards, our faces at the same height. Suddenly, I felt a push from behind, making me fall forwards and accidentally press my lips against hers. I reached out for the wall immediately, using it to help me regain my balance. I stepped backwards so there was about two feet between us. It was the second time today I'd been at a loss for real words or feelings, even. She turned around and, half-facing the door, muttered something I didn't quite make out. It sounded a bit like "I should go." I assumed that's what I heard.

"Yes, you probably should," I answered to the supposed question. I turned around and faced the window. Suddenly the river didn't sound too bad. I heard the door shut quietly behind me, and I remembered something she said earlier. _"Well, Alice said that we could". _I raced to the desk and found the current book of records, reading every name carefully. There was no Alice here. None except... A pixie-like figure emerged from the kitchen door.

"Alice!"

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**Ooh, someone's in trouble! Edward's going to have a fit. At least there's one person who can stand up to Mr. Meany-Pants.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wow, two months since the last update. Sorry, life's just been so busy the past few months. But now it's summer, so updates will probably happen more often.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

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**Chapter 8**

**EPOV**

Three heads peeked into the main door; my scream must've alerted them. Jasper was the first to step into the room, probably because he sensed my anger and saw Alice in the room. He stood protectively beside Alice while the others leaned against the fireplace.

"Alice, let's have a little chat." I stepped towards her, my hands open, to give a false sense of security. My voice was terrifyingly polite. Emmett, despite being stronger and taller than I, stepped away from me, going to sit on the sofa behind me.

"About what, Edward?" She stood her ground, her voice unwavering. Rosalie walked casually towards Emmett, who was sitting on the edge of the couch.

"You know what I'm talking about." I wasn't in the mood for her games. There was practically steam coming out of my ears.

"No, Edward. I honestly _don't_." She was sticking to her story. I didn't want to wait for her to play along; I went straight for the kill.

"Alice, I _told_ you I didn't want any of us bothering Swan."

"I wasn't bothering her, Edward. And she _does _have a name."

"_Don't _say her name. Ever. Again." I was beyond angry at this point. I knew I didn't want to be running the family "business", but the least they could do was at least try to listen to me. I took two steps forward and grabbed Alice by the shoulders, one hand finding its way around her neck. I didn't have the time to do much more; Jasper, seeing my irrational fit, yanked me off Alice, but not forcefully enough to send me flying into Emmett, who was now standing up, ready to restrain me at a moment's notice. I walked backwards so that I could press my back against the wall, slowly shrinking towards the floor.

What had I become? Yesterday, I was the head of a mafia organization, never actually hurting anyone, only instilling in them a good dose of fear. But today, I was a monster, physically taking out my anger on not only on Swan but on my own sister. I winced mentally at the thought of her name. I leaned my head against the wall, starting to see black spots.

"Is he okay? Hey, Edward, can you hear me?" I heard faint noises that sounded like Emmett's voice, but I couldn't find the will to answer them. I just couldn't believe myself.

"I don't think so. Edward, answer me." This time it was Alice, who'd moved from behind Jasper to kneel beside me. The sound of her voice reminded me why I was so angry. Was it too much to ask to be respected by your own siblings? Any of them could be doing this. They'd probably be better at it than I was.

I stood up, not responding verbally, and walked straight to the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 9

******Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter 9**

**BPOV**

I hurried out of the room, unable to look at anyone or anything. The door shut behind me with a loud thud. I jumped and looked around, hoping no one had seen me. I leaned against the door, my eyes closed, and tried to catch my breath. I didn't succeed; every time my breathing had almost steadied, I heard a loud noise from inside the office. I realized the only way to calm down would be to get away from here. I walked slowly to the stairs, more unbalanced than usual, and started to go back to my room. There was a tangible difference in their reaction to me now. They walked freely between the rooms, barely paying attention to me. The blond boy threw a red ball at me, asking me to play with him. I tossed it back and kept walking, not wanting to talk to anyone.

I opened the door to my room and headed straight for the chair, needing to sit down. I opened the window and leaned out a bit, welcoming the cool breeze. But it wasn't relaxing. The room only brought back memories of last night and this morning. In fact, it only made me feel worse. I sighed, standing up. I wanted to take a shower, but I realized I didn't have any clothes besides the ones I came in, and I didn't know where the bathroom was. I ran my fingers through my hair and started walking around the room, trying to find something to do. I noticed the trays of food from yesterday were still lying around. It reminded me why I was downstairs in the first place.

I left my room for the second time today, braver this time. I decided that I simply wasn't going to allow him to affect me the way he did. I ambled down the now-familiar hallway and turned right, taking the other staircase. I walked confidently, not afraid to run into any Cullens. I went left at the base of the stairs, realizing just how huge the house was. There were about ten doors on either side of the hallway. I could barely see the other staircase; it was far away. It felt more like a museum than a house, with its old architecture, priceless vases, and crowd, who walked between doors, carrying food, books, and movies back upstairs to their rooms.

I recognized the door to the kitchen immediately. It was wooden with glass cutouts and a golden knob. Apart from the mahogany door that led to Mr. Cullen's—no, I could say his name—Edward's office, these were the most ornate. I opened the door, barely stepping in, when I heard a familiar voice echoing from the room next door. I closed the door immediately, scrambling back into the hallway. Okay, maybe I wasn't as brave as I thought. I didn't want to run into him again. He didn't sound like he was any less angry.

I didn't hear what he was screaming about. I only assumed it was about business. I walked back into the kitchen, hoping that whatever he was dealing with would keep him in the other room. I walked towards the cupboards over the counter, finding a large glass near the back.

The door opened suddenly, making me jump and drop the glass in my hand, shattering loudly. Two children entered the room and headed straight to the fridge. I hopped over the glass and walked out the room. I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself. And, despite what I'd seen of him today, I knew that he would never hurt or punish the children for breaking something. Alistair walked past me into the kitchen, a broom and pan in his hands. I glanced at him apologetically before turning back towards the stairs.

I decided to go back into my room. I wasn't as ready to face him as I tried to tell myself I was. I walked towards the staircase, passing his office door. _Come on, Bella. Just a few more steps and you can go upstairs_. But I was too curious. I went quietly to the door, pressing my ear against it. His words were muffled, but I could still understand it.

"Alice, I _told_ you I didn't want any of us bothering Swan." His voice was low and threatening, much like I'd heard it a few minutes ago. I didn't realize that Alice was such a popular name nowadays. There was the Alice I was friends with, and the one he was yelling at in his office. Unless…

I gasped loudly, opening the door enough so I could see what was going on. Sure enough, I was right. Alice was standing by the fireplace, gasping for air. Edward was being thrown into the burly man that kidnapped me by the blond man who walked into my room this morning. There was another woman in the room, a statuesque blonde who was clinging onto the big one's arm, glaring at Alice. I contemplated going in there and apologizing to him, but I couldn't move. My hands were shaking on the knob. I pulled it shut, unable to hold in my panicked breathing any longer. I felt horrible. She was being attacked because of me.

I opened the door again, wanting to clear things over with him, but he was no longer there. Alice was standing, the blond man's arms wrapped around her shoulders, completely at ease. They were looking towards the kitchen, where I heard the cupboard doors slamming. I took a deep breath. It was either now or never. If I waited any longer, I'd never be able to work up the nerve to confront him. I walked towards the kitchen door. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

I pushed the door open, bursting with confidence. But as soon as I saw him, I wanted to hide in the corner. His sleeves were rolled and his hair was more disheveled than usual. He was opening and slamming the cabinet doors, probably looking for something, and swearing every time he didn't find it. I took a step towards him, less afraid of him now.

"Um, hi." My voice sounded weak. I stood awkwardly, holding my hands behind my back. He turned to me, his eyes crazed. I suddenly regretted this, but I wasn't going to back down now. "I just wanted to apologize."

"That's alright, Miss Swan." His jaw was still tense, and his hands were balling into fists by his side. But I didn't care. I wasn't going to let that intimidate me.

"No, it's not. I—" I took in a deep breath, calming myself. "I'm sorry. You were right. There was only one rule, and I broke it. I'm sorry for getting drunk yesterday, and for entering your office today." My breathing was still steady. That was a good sign. His expression softened slightly as I talked, and his hands relaxed.

"No, I'm sorry." His shoulders relaxed and he stepped towards me, leaving about three feet between us. "You were unable to make a good decision yesterday. I was not." He laughed, shaking his head. I was surprised to see him like this. Every other time I'd run into him, he was closed off and distant. "I also overreacted earlier. You were clearly confused, and I wasn't thinking. I probably terrified you, and for that, I apologize." He was looking right at me, his liquid emerald eyes piercing through me. I found it hard to breathe, but it wasn't because I was afraid. I smiled.

"I guess we both kind of screwed up."

"That we did." He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. "I know we've had some awkward run-ins, but we're going to have to live with each other for some time, and it would make it so much easier if we weren't trying to hide from each other. So, friends?" He held out his hand. I smiled, grasping his hand. I was glad that I didn't have to spend the rest of my time here skulking through the hallways.

"Friends."


End file.
